Group tasks Buhari on rebuilding of North-East, mop-up operation

A good governance advocacy group operating under the aegis of Concerned Professionals Congress, CPC, has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently consolidate the current success of the Nigerian military over the Boko Haram by kick-starting the planned massive rebuilding of the North-East zone.
The group also urged President Buhari with the declaration of a three months’ timeline to all security forces for mop-up operations.
The group’s coordinator, Tukur Musa Tilde and the chief media strategist, Emeka Nwapa, who jointly addressed the press in Bauchi yesterday to commemorate this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebrations, said that such presidential declaration would consolidate on the successes of the troops as well as give a befitting tribute to the memory of fallen soldiers whose conspicuous gallantry brought life back to the troubled zone.
According to the group, about seven months ago when President Buhari assumed office with his clear-headed anti-insurgency strategy, which handed a firm notice to the sect to quit, nobody could say precisely when the rebuilding of the zone could commence.
It contended also that until about three months ago when the president
appointed the new Chief of Defence Staff and the chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force respectively, there was no clear assurance of the beginning of the end of insurgency in the zone.
“Luckily today, the uncertainty around the end of insurgency is over, thanks to the valiant efforts of our military troops who deserve our support always. It is possible now to talk of a Presidential Reconstruction Committee for the Northeast because our military has done excellently well in the theatre of war.
“With many territories recovered, thousands of the captured released, hundreds of Boko Haram members surrendering without any video to show again, normal life is fast-returning to the once troubled zone. It may take some time for things to completely normalize but the good news is that everybody is now talking about rebuilding and reconstruction. It is a good omen,” Tilde said.
The group explained that another presidential three months timeline for the security forces to bring considerable normalcy to the region would give ample time to the federal government and all stakeholders in the developmental agenda of the zone, including the international community, to study the situation, map out strategies and take are appropriate measures to actualise the goals and objectives of the government for the traumatised people of the zone and for the entire country in general.
“Now that insurgency in the North-East has become history, we should now brace up to tackle terrorism. Insurgency means forcefully taking control of sovereign territories, terrorism on the other hand is using fear to drive home a message. One drives the other so the situation requires the participation of all citizens and stakeholders with the people taking the lead while the government whose responsibility it is to guarantee the security and welfare of the people, provides the enabling environment,” it said.
The group expressed delight over the pronouncement by the Minister of Interior, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau (rtd) last Monday in Maiduguri that the police and other para-military personnel would soon be deployed to areas and territories liberated from the sect.
It said that the strategy would go a long way in re-establishing human presence in the areas as a way of preparing the ground for the eventual commencement of the reconstruction and rebuilding of the zone.
“The pronouncement by the Interior Minister should be followed immediately with concrete action to further drive the message home that indeed life has returned to the liberated areas. It will give assurance to those who have heeded government’s call as well as those yet to make up their minds to return to their historical roots and live their normal lives again. It is a welcome development in the civil society community. That is why we are calling on the President to declare another three months’ timeline because the last deadline he gave the military worked wonders,” the group said.